


A Trip Down Memory Lane

by seonghwazz



Series: The Sun Is Rising Over The Horizon [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, Choi Jongho-centric, Gen, Go check out the main fic if you want woosan, Jongho is baby., Jongho literal child, Mingi and Yeosang are also baby, Orphanage, Orphans, Sorry folks woosan aren't here, aged-down characters, lowercase intended, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24699235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seonghwazz/pseuds/seonghwazz
Summary: Choi Jongho doesn't remember his first days at the orphanage. Hongjoong remembers clearly.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Choi San/Jeong Yunho/Jung Wooyoung/Kang Yeosang/Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa/Song Mingi
Series: The Sun Is Rising Over The Horizon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784140
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	A Trip Down Memory Lane

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a spin-off of my main fic in this universe (check the series! It's By The Moonlight). It's not required that you go read the fic first, but just a reminder that:  
> -The characters are younger here than they are in the main events of the fic  
> -Not everyone is here because they arrived later than Jongho
> 
> By the way! Thank you to @galaxyksj for requesting this! 
> 
> Enjoy!

if you asked jongho about his days before the orphanage, he’d always say that the memories were hazy (which they were). the only things he remembered of his previous childhood was a horseback ride, with him in his father’s arms, and watching his mother clink teacups with other well-dressed women. he doesn’t remember his arrival to the orphanage either, faintly recalling being kissed goodnight.

hongjoong remembers jongho’s arrival clearly, though. he remembered chasing mingi and yeosang in the garden, making grabby hands for the two of them. “stop running!”, he yelled, catching on to six-year-old mingi’s dungarees. “y-you’ll never catch me alive!”, mingi yelled back, giggling as he shook free from the older’s grasp and dodged hongjoong’s hands.

they stumbled around the yard for a while, yeosang strategically resting behind a bush and only running away when hongjoong dashed over. seonghwa joined them after he had finished hanging up the laundry, seizing yeosang and mingi triumphantly.

suddenly, the telltale sound of wailing from the front steps was enough to alert hongjoong to run back inside and open the front door. mingi and yeosang glanced up at seonghwa, who shrugged. “can you two stay out of trouble and wait? i’ll be right back”, he said, before running after hongjoong.

it was to no one’s surprise that there was a child crying on the front steps. hongjoong sat down next to the kid, brushing his fluffy bangs from his eyes. “hey, it’s okay. you can stop crying now.” the kid looked up at hongjoong with unshed tears glistening in his eyes, sniffling.

“what’s your name?”, seonghwa asked kindly, smiling. “j-jongho”, the boy stuttered. seonghwa took in the kid’s attire. he looked like he belonged to one of the richer families that he used to pass by on his way to school, his clothes adorned with ornate buttons.

“are you lost?”, hongjoong inquired. “we can call the constables if you need to.” jongho shook his head. “mommy and daddy are missing too...”, he whispered. “uncle told me to be a good boy and stay here. jongho’s a good boy so i stayed.”

hongjoong drew in a sharp intake of breath, glancing at seonghwa. “how would you feel if you were to stay with us?” jongho looked uncertain but nodded anyway. “okay. just for now?”

“for a while”, seonghwa offered. jongho’s parents have not addressed “stranger danger” with him yet, so he stands up on his chubby legs and clutches onto seonghwa’s finger. seonghwa takes jongho to get registered and some new clothes, jongho waving hongjoong goodbye with a loose fist.

hongjoong rushed to the yard to take yeosang and mingi in for a shower. he found yeosang anxiously gripping mingi’s hand in a vice grip, biting his lower lip. “hyung!”, he yells, rushing towards the older boy. “you came back!”

“why wouldn’t i? i would never abandon you two”, hongjoong muses. “we’ve got a new friend. you can meet him after your showers, okay?” mingi whined at the prospect of standing under a cold stream of water, while hongjoong washed him roughly. “can we do it tomorrow?”, he pleaded. “don’t wanna!” yeosang nods in silent agreement.

“you’re both sweaty and sticky. getting a shower will make you feel better.” ignoring their complaints, hongjoong whisked them off to the bathrooms. seonghwa is waiting for them when they return to their dorm, all three of them leaving behind trails of water droplets. mingi’s pouting as he clings on to hongjoong’s waist, his eyes widening when he sees the boy sitting in seonghwa’s lap. hongjoong notices that jongho has changed out of his previous outfit and is only wearing a pair of overalls.

“this is jongho”, seonghwa announces. “he’s four and your new brother.” jongho waves, a gummy smile on his face. yeosang grins. “i’m yeosang. the pouty one is mingi. nice to meet you.” mingi glares at yeosang playfully, but ruffles jongho’s hair anyway as a way of greeting. hongjoong towels off mingi and yeosang’s hair. “ouch, hyung!”, yeosang calls, when hongjoong accidentally pulls at a chunk of his hair. “sorry!”, hongjoong mumbles back, promising to be more gentle.

hongjoong thinks that this will be just fine. taking care of a four-year-old wasn’t really his specialty, but he’ll manage. besides, he had his dongwon and daehwi hyung to help. they’re older than him by six and seven years respectively, so they should know more about this. the two of them still haven’t come back from classes.

he finds their first problem at dinner. jongho just won’t eat the food that they’ve been given; mingi looks like he wants to polish off jongho’s plate, too, if he doesn’t want it. seonghwa spoons a bite of the watery soup, moving it towards jongho’s mouth. the boy reluctantly opens, and swallows with an expression of disgust. “icky! don’ want it!” daehwi smirks; this kid has just dissed the food that they receive on a daily basis.

“i know, jongho, but you got to eat”, seonghwa pleads. “or you’ll be hungry and that’s not good.” mingi is continuing to eye jongho’s food, getting jabbed by yeosang. “mingi”, he whispers. “finish mine.” mingi eagerly swaps plates with yeosang, the older watching with satisfaction as mingi wolfs it all down.

jongho finally gives in, grimacing whenever he had to swallow the cabbage soup, but the bowl is eventually finished. “good boy”, seonghwa coos, chucking him under the chin. jongho makes a sound of happiness, curling against seonghwa’s side. “seonghwa’s good with the lil’ ones”, dongwon says to hongjoong. “he sure is”, hongjoong replies proudly. yeosang and mingi are chattering with jongho as they prepare for bed, jongho occasionally making his own little comments.

seonghwa pulls a shirt over jongho’s head, dusting his pants off. “alright”, he says to the others. “bedtime.” he puts jongho to sleep in one of the lower bunks, tucking him in with a smile and a kiss. he pulls a fighting mingi and yeosang apart, sternly staring them down. “it’s yeosang’s turn tonight for the upper bunk”, he scolds. “you’ll get it tomorrow.”

mingi allows himself to be laid down on the bunk below yeosang’s as seonghwa pulls the blanket under his chin, the older planting a soft kiss onto his forehead. yeosang is awaiting his, smiling like a chesire cat when seonghwa gives him his kiss.

hongjoong looks expectant. seonghwa raises an eyebrow, confused as to what is happening. “do i get a kiss?” seonghwa sighs, planting one on the younger’s cheek. “there. now go to bed.” hongjoong, as usual, has taken the upper bunk. dongwon ruffles seonghwa’s hair, bidding him good night.

the second problem arises the next morning, when their all getting up. hongjoong is woken by the unforgiving light that pours through the one rusty window in their room, the one that seonghwa polishes on a daily basis.

he blearily climbs out of bed, his bed hair adorning his face. hongjoong washes up at the washstand in the room, blinking as the cold water slides down his face. he notices that daehwi and dongwon are already awake, as their beds are empty and he can see them working out in the yard from the window. hongjoong quickly finishes readying himself for the day and shakes seonghwa awake to help him deal with the others.

seonghwa isn’t surprised when he discovers that jongho has wet the bed. the boy is crying, wailing pitifully as hongjoong helps him change. mingi pats jongho on the shoulder as if comforting him. “don’t cry, jongie! it happens to me all the time!” jongho sniffs. “r-really, min hyung?” mingi nods. “yep! ask yeosang! he can confirm it.” yeosang simply nods when jongho looks at him, which makes the younger feel slightly better.

“all better”, hongjoong cheers. “seonghwa over here can do your sheets later, with me. don’t fret about it.” seonghwa nods earnestly, patting jongho on the head. “now let’s get you to class, kid.”

it was hard at first,but their dorm soon got into the routine of including a four-year-old child into their daily life. seonghwa loved having jongho around; he was so much easier to take care of than yeosang, mingi and hongjoong. they were all whiny little kids apart from jongho, and he couldn’t have been happier when he learned that jongho’s frequent tears could be stopped with a reassuring hug. hongjoong likes having jongho around, too; he’s a little ball of cuddly energy.

hongjoong looks at the eight-year-old boy now playing with his bears with yunho. they seem to be having a tea party, as jongho has given each of the bears a glass of non-existent tea. yunho looks like he’s having a lot of fun. “so bernard can just drink some more of the tea that he’s having”, he explains. yunho motions for the bear to take a sip from the cup, and hongjoong wants to faint from cuteness.

jongho’s become their beloved youngest brother, and nothing is going to take him away from them.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are much appreciated!


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